News

Corunna narrows search to two

By NATHAN BRUTTELL Argus-Press Staff Writer

Friday, September 19, 2008 10:37 AM EDT

CORUNNA - After three days of interviewing the top five candidates for superintendent, the Corunna Public Schools Board of Education narrowed its list to two candidates.

Former Byron Area Schools Superintendent and Corunna administrator Mark Miller and Wyoming Public Schools elementary principal Kevin Murphy made the final cut. The board will conduct follow-up interviews with the candidates at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The board interviewed Miller and Marion Public Schools Superintendent Charles Chase Thursday night. Following the interviews, Michigan Association of School Boards Executive Director Carl Hartman led the board in narrowing its decision.

Each member of the board was asked to write down a number from zero to five - along with names - indicating how many candidates they would like to see for a follow-up interview.

Miller, Murphy and Chase were the only candidates to receive votes - however none was unanimous and all received an equal number of votes.

The board discussed the three candidates in attempts to narrow its decision. Chase's name was eliminated when no board members indicated they wanted him for a follow-up interview - citing his seeming lack of interest in the position.

Board members discussed what they did and did not like about the top candidates.

“I thought Murphy was entirely textbook,” board member Jim Lockwood said, adding the answers seemed to tell them “what we wanted to hear.”

Other board members were nervous about hiring someone with no superintendent experience.

“He showed an interest in family dynamics, but I'm nervous about the experience factor with him,” board member Maureen Stanley said.

Board member Tom Terry agreed.

“I'm concerned about his experience too, but we all started somewhere,” he said. “It may have been on a lower scale...but he did have some experience.”

Board members also had mixed feelings on Miller.

“He seemed to be everything we initially said we were looking for,” member Tom Lockwood said. “He could hit the ground running.”

Stanley said she had previous experience working with and for Miller.

“Everybody we interviewed had some of the good, bad and the ugly about them,” she said. “He had a solid history and turned (Byron Area Schools) around.”

Board member Brenda Walworth did not like the responses to phone calls she had made asking about Miller.

“I like him as a person,” she said. “The people I talked to from Byron...I had heard about a lot of staff morale issues.”

Terry didn't think Miller held student achievement high enough.

“It worries me that his No. 1 priority is the budget,” Terry said. “I talked to teachers and staff and parents who felt the kids were not given the education they deserved because of the budget.”

After the decision to bring Miller and Murphy back, the board asked for citizen comments.

Resident Sharon Morehouse said she was very much in favor of Miller.

“If we cannot bring in someone from our own community, what hope do we give people at Corunna Public Schools from advancing within?” Morehouse said. “Let's consider what the public is thinking.”

After Miller's interview, the audience gave applause, the only time any of the candidates interviewed received applause.

Miller had more than 50 residents in attendance during his interview, nearly twice the amount for any other candidate.

Retired Corunna Public Schools teacher Lois Whalen came to support Miller.

“His expertise is marvelous,” she said. “He is looked up to at the schools as a father figure. And he remembers the names of every student he's ever had.”

- Contact Nathan Bruttell at 725-5136 extension 231 or nbruttellarguspress@gmail.com.

Comment on this Story

me up north looking down wrote on Sep 23, 2008 10:31 AM:

" Religious zealots like Walworth shoukd give Mark a chance and forget that he part owned Chippewa Hills. That last guy (Smith) who I've dealt with professionally and personally, let's just say, isn't my cup of tea. He was a bad choice to say the least. GO MARK! "

Optimistic Corunna School Employee wrote on Sep 22, 2008 9:06 PM:

" It makes me sad to see the radical division that has been created between dedicated staff members and a small segment of dissatisfied community members. The two finalists represent two very different leadership styles and have very different outlooks and aspirations. It is too bad that a few sour grapes have succeeded in distracting others from seeing the obvious strengths of Kevin Murphy. Murphy is solid as a rock and from what I have heard from my own phone calling to various Wyoming district folks, I haven't heard anything but good things. Murphy may lack direct experience as a superintendent, but it is obvious that he has prepared himself for this position. I believe that the Corunna staff would eagerly work with Murphy to help him be successful. Murphy speaks a message that will continue to move our district forward and keep up with the fast-paced, speed-of-light changes coming at public schools from all directions. Murphy has a track record that is outstanding, diverse, and more multi-facted than has been reported. It also appears he is looking for longevity in the district -- an important factor to a leader's ability to make a significant difference. Let's hope that tomorrow's final round of interviews allows both candidates to be heard. And, it would be classy if the audience refrained from singing the "one of our own" song and let the process unfold. Let's give Murphy a chance to bring a fresh vision for Corunna--one that will balance tradition with innovation and allow us to finally move forward as a united district. "

BigBrother wrote on Sep 22, 2008 7:16 PM:

" Corunna schools have many internal problems that most of the public doesn't know about. Their are major staff issues and near mutiny right now, just ask any teacher, over the contract that was turned down twice. Whoever takes over as the next superintendent will have some messes to clean up, especially with staff morale issues. The boys club run deep at Corunna, and it will be interesting to see who winds up the head cheese. "

TwoCentsWorth wrote on Sep 22, 2008 4:54 PM:

" It would be nice if residents like Ms. Morehouse would do their homework before stating, “If we cannot bring in someone from our own community...”
Kevin Murphy is a graduate of Durand Area Schools. His father was Superintendent at Durand during the 80's and 90's and was the supt at Godwin Heights in the Grand Rapids area until 2005. His sister was HS principal at Birch Run for 9 years and is now the HS principal at Lowell.
I think hiring Kevin Murphy would be like getting a 3-for-1 deal. How often can you hire someone young and enthusiastic with a dad and a sister to call on when a tough situation arises. PLUS, he has 3 kids he'll be bringing to the district. That's roughly $21,000 in added enrollment in case anybody wonders. "

Lea Anne Bigelow wrote on Sep 22, 2008 1:00 PM:

" Go Mr. Miller!! EXPERIENCE speaks for it self! He will make this awesome school district even more amazing! "

concerned grandparents wrote on Sep 22, 2008 12:40 PM:

" Corunna School Boaard, you have a big responsibility to hire a new superintendent. Your job is not a popularity contest. You have been charged by the voters to put your personal views aside and do what is right for the Corunna school system. Have you done your homework? Do you know how Byron teachers and staff feel about Mr. Miller? Do you know if he has furthered his education by keeping up-to-date? Do you know how the staff of Corunna schools feels about him? How does Mr. Miller treat women employees? What about his morals? Mr. Miller has already started his pattern of deception during the Corunna interviews. He proudly stated that "there are a lot of jobs out there and I'm not applying for those. I am being selective." Hmm--how interesting that Miller is also a finalist in Perry and, rumor has it, Ashley schools as well. There are nearly 18,000 people living in the Corunna school jurisdiction. Fifty family and friends of Mr. Miller should not give the false impression that he has a represented support. Lockwood left as a disgruntled employee. Morehouse,Lockwood's mother-in-law, is further disgruntled because her husband is no longer being asked to substitute as a janitor in Corunna. These two individuals are unfairly sabotaging a stellar district due to personal paybacks. This district is too special to mess with! As grandparents of school of choice students, we ask you to please do your homework. If Miller is chosen, there will be an exodus of staff and students alike. "

Worried Parent wrote on Sep 21, 2008 7:26 PM:

" This year I have moved my child from Owosso schools to Corunna schools because I have heard outstanding things about this school district. However, I am very concerned at what I have been hearing about the applicant, Mark Miller for superindedent. I have talked with residents of Byron that were elated that Miller left their district. Why would Corunna want to bring on so many problems with hiring someone like this? I hope that Corunna's School Board does some major checking around on this candidate for the sake of my child and other students in this district. I would hate to see the tables turned and have Corunna start losing school of choice students which Mr. Smith has worked so hard to bring to the district! "

Concerned Community Member wrote on Sep 21, 2008 6:30 PM:

" I agree with the idea of hiring an internim superintedent until the board can fully agree on the perfect candidate for this school district. The news article states that there were over 50 people in attendance for Mark Miller, however, does that erase the opinions of many community members, tax payers, and parents as to why Mark Miller SHOULD NOT be hired for this position? Why would anyone want to bring in a man that stirs up so much controversy in the community for the position of superintendent? If you ask me, the board should take their time in making sure that the person they hire is applying for the position for the RIGHT REASONS...the STUDENTS! "

me up north wrote on Sep 21, 2008 12:19 PM:

" Mark is your man. The only problem is all the teachers and students want him and He would be to well liked by the staff. You guys need a whole new school board they seem to be a bunch of snoobs. "

Parent wrote on Sep 21, 2008 11:15 AM:

" I agree, I'll move my two son's out of that district as well if Mr. Miller is the next superintendent! "

John Forbes wrote on Sep 20, 2008 10:06 PM:

" My concern is what he going to do work a few years and make the district like Byron's a Joke! Left with deficits. Also I believed Corunna has higher standards but I guess I'll keep my daughter at home if he becomes Superintendent. "

Why the hurry wrote on Sep 20, 2008 8:09 PM:

" As a concerned Corunna resident, I strongly urge the School Board to slow down in this hiring process. The board is split on their choice(imagine that), which only proves they are in too big of a hurry. Please name an interim administrator and open the job up again at the end of this school year.

Slow down, get to know these candidates a little bit more, and perhaps keep the door open to other potential candidates that could still be out there. "

CHS Alum wrote on Sep 20, 2008 5:19 PM:

" Tom Terry quoted in regards to Mark Miller:

“ 'It worries me that his No. 1 priority is the budget,' Terry said. 'I talked to teachers and staff and parents who felt the kids were not given the education they deserved because of the budget.' "

Tom. That's precisely why Miller SHOULD be given strong consideration. CRIPES MAN!!!! Make some more phone calls to the staff and teachers at Byron. This time ask them while Miller was Superintendent there, how many raises did they TURN DOWN so as to allow more money within the budget for things like books and new computers? You know...to improve the "quality of education". I'm betting the answer would be ZERO.

Elsewhere in the article, Brenda Walworth is quoted as being concerned with staff morale issues at Byron. Again, make some more phone calls. Ask them if the raises they DID get during the Miller years met their complete satisfacion.

I'm guessing the morale issues and the quality of education opinions voiced by those Byron staff members and teachers who were consulted are due not so much to Millers placing the budget at the top of his list of priorities. I'm geussing the morale issues and quality of education opinions stem directly from the fact that the staff and teachers consulted felt that not enough of Byron's budget went into their pockets. "

CONCERNED TAX PAYER wrote on Sep 20, 2008 11:38 AM:

" What we need in this district is a superintendent who is fresh and innovated. Someone who will come in with new ideas and be willing to do what is best for the students in this district. Isn’t that what a school district is all about? We have the best administration staff in the county and they will be able to support and help in many ways to welcome and help out with the transition. Why would a strong district like ours even consider Mr. Miller when they have already had many complaints from people who have worked with him?! That is the biggest RED FLAG I have ever seen. In my opinion there was no reason for a couple of our board members to even be at the interviews. They had their minds set up before anyone walked through those doors. And for one of our board members to say that “they tuned him out” after one of the interviews is absolutely absurd. This is a huge decision and it concerns me when comments like that are made. Seven people are making this decision and I hope that they can come to a decision that all of them feel comfortable with. I’m glad to know that one member was concerned with putting the staff of Corunna in jeopardy by hiring Mr. Miller. Does this board want to lose the staff that makes this district what it is today? Let’s be real here and stop to think what is best for the students in this district. Put personal relationships to the side. Besides, I don’t know that I have ever seen a teacher make it all the way to the top in the same district. In fact, why wouldn’t we want someone to come in with no previous background with any employee in the district? Let someone new come in and do his or her job by getting to know the community and staff without any prior conceptions. "

Miller is a Joke wrote on Sep 19, 2008 9:50 PM:

" Miller was horrible at Byron -- a real joke of a candidate... Keep trying Corunna -- do not settle. "

BigBrother wrote on Sep 19, 2008 7:27 PM:

" Someone in Corunna didn't do their homework on Charles Chase. The guy is in hot water up north at his current school. Type his name into Google and have fun with the results. "

Concerned wrote on Sep 19, 2008 6:23 PM:

" I hope that the Board of Education does not rush into any decisions until conducting background checks including speaking with employees who have worked along side the candidates. Corunna Public Schools has an excellent reputation and I would hate to see this change! "

Concerned Parent wrote on Sep 19, 2008 3:07 PM:

" Just because Mr. Miller is from the community doesn't necessarily mean he is a great administrator. Since when is residency a requirement? Of course he got applause - it was the home field advantage.
Mr. Miller may be well practiced in telling people, especially school boards, what they want to hear, but there is a lot more to the story than that. I strongly urge the school board to put aside the personal feelings of Mr. Miller's friends and neighbors and look at the actual needs of the school and students. The comments Ms. Walworth heard are right on point and deserve to be investigated further.
Sure, he may be a completely nice fellow, but don't just hand him this job because of it. And please don't discriminate against the other applicant because he isn't a resident. Be inclusive and welcoming - isn't that the attitude a community that wants to grow should project? "

Concerned District Tax Payer wrote on Sep 19, 2008 2:40 PM:

" It's obivous that Mr. Lockwood's vote will be for Miller since he is related to the Morehouse family. Mrs. Stanley & Mrs. Whalen use to work with Miller when he was a teacher in the distrit.Don't you think that would be greatly different at the Superintendent level. It was nice that Miller drummed up some local support for himself since he is from the area which placed the other candidates at a disadvantage. The 50 present at the meeting is not a true representation of the district but is usually the loud minority.Miller was at Corunna once and left, went to Byron and left. Now he wants to be a Superintendent again . Go figure???? "